cooper



S. COOPER.

METHOD OF DISPENSING LIQUIDS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24. 1917. RENEWED APR. 4. I919.

1,3 1 9, 377 Patented Oct. 21, 1919 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

S. COOPER.

METHOD OF DISPENSING mums.

v APPLIQATION FILED OCT. 24.1917- RENEWED APR, 4,1919- 1319377, Patented Oct. 21,1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

S. COOPER.

METHOD OF DISPENSING LIQUIDS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24. 1911. RENEWED APR. 4,1919.

1,319,377. Patented Oct. 21,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. L5' 5 Original application filed December 2, 1915, Serial No. 64,638.. Divided and SIMON COOPER, OI! BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PINE HILL CRYSTAL SPRING WATER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

METHOD OF DISPENSING LIQUIDS.

Patented Oct. 21 1919.

this application filed October 24,

1917, Serial No. 198,206. Renewed April 4, 1819. Serial No. 287,633.

pensing Liquids, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to a method of dispensing liquids and some features of the invention render it particularly applicable to a type of water cooler in which the water or other liquid is held in an inverted receptacle. In such a cooler, as the liquid is drawn off from time to time the air space 'or air chamber in the up )er part of the receptacle increases in volume and the air which passes into the receptacle, drawn as it is fromi the air in the room or hall where the coolerstands, may contain impurities or bacilli noxious to lunnan life. This disadvantage is aggravated. under some cir cumstanccs for the reason that frequently the receptacle is of such a large size that considerable time elapscs before the liquid is entirely consumed. During all this time the surface of the liquid is exposed to the -air in the air chamber and the receptacle which is generally of glass may be placed in the sunlight, prmlucmg conditions which are highly favorable to the propagation of bacilli or bacteria. l urthcrmore, such apparatus is often constructed in such a way that the exterior of the mouth of the receptaclo comes in direct contact with the water, or otherliquid which is to be drunk. Such an apparatus as this dcscribed is evi dently very unsanitary.

Among the objects of my invention is to provide a dispensing method which may be practised with a very simple dispensing apparatus which. will be sanitary and which will operate in a very simple manner to permit the liquid to be drawn off as may be desired, and further to provide for sealing the liquid so that where air must come in contact with it, this air will be purified. I

effect this result in a very simple manner and without the necessity of the use of valves havin moving parts, except the usual faucet or otier means for drawing oil the liquid; and in order to carry out my purpose more completely the apparatus is prcferably constructed so as to prevent any possibility of the liquid which is to be drunk, from coming in direct contact with the exterior of the mouth ofthe receptacle. In addition to this it is my object to provide improved means for effecting the cooling of the liquid before it is consumed.

My invention includes the method by which I accomplish the general purposes of my lnvention. 111' the drawings, in which is shown a form of apparatus for carrying out my invcntion, Figure 1 is a central vertical section partly in elevation taken on the line 11 of Flg. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan view with certain parts removed; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

The apparatus may comprise a refrigerating compartment 1 formed within a case 2 having double walls 3 which may be packed. with a suitable heat non-condacting packing 4. The case 1 may have two rcnmvablo. cover sections 5 and 6 which are of semicircular form so as to form a suitable cover or lid for the case 1 which is represcnted for example, 'asof circular form. The cover scction 5 may have a handle 7 rendering it easily removable to give access to the interior which may receive a refrigerating Sill)- stance such as ice, imlicatcd at 8; and the interior of the refrigerating compartment preferably has an overflow tube 9 with a removable stopper or closure 9. By 1'cmo\-'-- ing the plug 10 at the bottom of the case the refrigerating compm'tmcnt may be completely drained through the outlet 10.

The cover section (3 is prefcrabl y constructed to support an inverted receptacle such as the receptacle or largebottle 11, and the parts are so arranged as to prevent contact, of the liquid within the bottle and the exterior of the mouth of the bottle before the liquid is consumed. In order to accomplish this the cover section 6 is ln'efera'bly provided with a funnel-shaped depression 13 supported on a housing 12 and this housing has an upwardly extending closure or plug 15) which fits into and will seal the mouth of the receptacle or vessel. The plug has a liquid'duct it which extends downwardly through the same and an independent air inlet or duct 15 composed of two branches 15" and 15. I provide means for efi'ccting a hydrostatic seal for normally the receptacle and for normally preventing air from; leaking throu h the air duct 15, and into the air chant er 11 in which a partial vacuum exists above the liquid level 5- indicated by the line 11 of the receptacle.

I also construct the parts so as to prevent the exterior of the mouth of the receptacle from touching the liquid. To accomplish this I provide a delivery chamber 23 to rcceive liquid from the receptacle through the duct 14 and to contain a hydrostatic sealing bath, the level of which is normally maintained at about the .position of the dotted line 230, see Fig. 1. This delivery cham- 15 her preferably has an extension 22 which projects toward the front of the cooler and 1s provided with a delivery pipe 27 which" may have means such as a faucet 28 for drawing off the liquid from the delivery 9 0 chamber. The delivery chamber is preferably elevated by means of cleats 24 above the bottom of the refrigerating compart mbnt so that the refri erating water will pass or circulate on all" ateral sides of and I 25 on the under side of the delivery chamber.

This gives a very good cooling effect.

The lower portion of the housing 12 seats on a asket 26 on a cover 25 of the delivery cham er 23 so as to form a substantially airso tight connection-and prevent the entrance of air to the air chamber in which air is confined above the level of the liquid in the delivery chamber 23. The receptacle is inverted and put in place, and then the liquid flows down the duct 14 and partially fills the delivery chamber 23, normally mounting to and maintaining a level therein at about the point indicated by the line 230, which is sufiiciently above the lower end of the duct to produce equilibrium in the liquid columns in the delivery chamber and in-the receptacle 11. l

When a condition of equilibrium exists, the liquid in the chamber 23 at about the level indicated by the line 230, forms a liquid supply column which, together with the atmospheric pressure upon its upper surface, .forms a counterbalancing column for counterbalancing the column of liquid in the duct 14, the receptacle l1 and the air in the air chamber 11.

And, likewise, during this condition of equilibrium, liquid stands in the branches 15 and 15 of the air duct, so that the liquid column in the branch 15" together with 66 air chamber 11.

When a quantity of liquid is withdrawn at the faucet 28 the level of the sealing bath in the delivery chamber 23 will drop to a 1 lower level such as indicated by the line 231. '65 This reduces the liquid column in the chamber 23 and disturbs the equilibrium. The first effect of this is to break the seal which is formed in the air duct, and causes the admission ofair to the interior of the receptacle l1. Thisv effect is .the first effect produced on .account of the fact that the column of liquid in the duct 15 and the receptacle is shorter than the column of liquid in the duct 14 and the receptacle. The next effect is a downward flow of liquid through the duct 14 into the chamber 23, and this downward flow will continue until the faucet 28 is closed and equilibrium of the liquid columns is reestablished.

No air passes up the duct 14 tq the liquid supply column.

This admitted air is preferably purified by passing it through a purifier, or filter 20 which may contain a removable wad 20 of absorbent material preferably'held in place bya baflle-form closure 21 through which the air may pass in. This admitted air is preferably taken from the interior of the refrigerating compartment, and I prefer to provide an air duct 16 for leading a portion of the purified airto the air chamber in the delivery chamber '23 (from which all other air is excluded) in the upper portion of which air is confined above the sealing bath.

Any liquid spilled in placing the receptacle 11 in osition drains through a duct 18 into the re rigerating compartment.

As the cover section 5 does not make an air-tight closure for the refrigerating compartment, the air ducts 15 and 16 are in communication with the atmosphere, but by utilizing the air from the interior of the refrigcrating compartment to replace the volume of liquid withdrawn from receptacle 11, the admitted air in the receptacle will have been refrigerated; and furthermore this cool air exerts a cooling effect on the liquid as it bubbles up through it. This bubbling up of the air will continue until equilibrium of the hydrostatic columns occurs.

The ice 8 is preferably supported upon a removable grid 30 having bent cross bars 31, forming legs and having upwardly extending loops 30 for retaining the ice.

The receptacle 11 may be conveniently held in a rudimentary crib formed of fixed standards 32 and 33, and a movable stand.- ard'34 which may be pivoted to permit its being swung out of the way when the receptacle is being put in place. And a latch 36 may be provided for holding the movable standard in its holding position;

By reason of the fact that the air duct is effectually sealed by the liquid itself, this air duct may be made largeenough to admit the air in such quantity as to cause a very uniform outward flow of the liquid. The trap formed by the two tubes 15 and 15 is an important part of the invention, and the hydrostatic seal contained therein is controlled by 'the relation between the supply column in the bottle and the delivery column 23. \Vhen these two columns are in equilibriui'n, there is a seal in the trap, but as soon as this equilibriun'i is disturbed by the drawing off of water from the delivery column the consequent increased vacuum in the space 11 causes air to pass in through the tube 15*, displacing the water in the trap, which backs up into the bottle, and the necessary quantity of air then passes on through the bottle into this space 11, to restore a condition of equilibrium between the vacuum and the atmospheric pressure. The path of the air through the tubes 15 and 15 is the shortest path, and consequently there is no tendency for the air to pass through the delivery column 23 and thence up through the tube 14.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention et forth herein is only one of the many embodiments or forms the invention may take, and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of my invention nor in my claims to the particular embodiment set forth.

The present application is a division of my prior Patent 1,236,912, filed December 2nd, 1915, Serial No. 64,633 for liquid dispensing apparatus.

I claim:

1. The method of dispensing a liquid which consists in maintaining a liquid-supply column with a partial vacuum above the same, maintaining a counterbalancing column of the liquid to counterbalance the supply column, maintaining an independent air inlet for admitting air through said supply column to pass into said partial vacuum,

and drawing off liquid from said counterbalancing column and thereby causing an inward flow of air in the air inlet and an outward flow of liquid from the supply column to the balancing column.

2. The method of dispensing a liquid which consists in maintaining a liquid-s11 ply column with a partial vacuum above 13 6 same, maintaining a counterbalancing column of the liquid to counterbalance the supply column, maintaining an independent air inlet for admitting air through said supply column to pass into said partial vacuum, drawing off liquid from said balancing column and thereby causing an inward flow of air in the air duct and an outward flow of liquid from the supply column to the balancing column, and purifying the admitted air before admission through said air duct.

3. The method of dispensing a liquid which consists in maintaining a liquid-supply column with a partial vacuum above the same, confining a counterbalancing column of the liquid and air at atmospheric pressure to-counterbalance the said supply column and form a hydrostatic seal therefor, maintaining an independent hydrostatically sealed air inlet to said liquid-supply column, drawing ofi liquid from said counterbalancing column and thereby causing an inward v flow of air through said inlet, and an outward flow of liquid from said supply column to said counterbalancing column, admitting air to said confined air, and purifying the air admitted to the confined air and to the supply column.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SIMON COOPER. 

